Carpe Diem
Chapter 1 - The Sky is Falling
Chapter 8 - The Adventure Begins
Chapter 9 -The Sky is The Limit
Chapter 13 - Everyone Loves Spam
Chapter 15 - Chicken, Beef, & Pudding
Chapter 18 - Baby it’s Cold Outside
Chapter 19 - Hangovers & Heartache
Chapter 20 - PIZZA! PZZA! PZZA!
Chapter 21 - Valentine Schmalintine
Chapter 22 - Popcorn & Secrets
Chapter 23 - April Showers Brings May Flowers
By Rae Matthews
Carpe Diem
Copyright © 2016 Rae Matthews
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at
[email protected]
.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
If you are reading this illegally, shame on you! Go sit in the corner and think about what you have done, you have taken an authors hard work and voided it. Would you like to go to work and not be paid for it? Think about that while you sit in shame, alone, without your books.
Edited by: Kerry Genova, Writersresourceinc.com
Cover Design: Rae Matthews
Formatting: Rae Matthews
Pipers Tattoo Designed by: Wendy Oleston
Author Photo by: BC Fotos, Minneapolis, MN
***
ISBN-13:
978-1523298600
ISBN-10:
152329860X
For all those who have forgotten there is more to life then working to pay the bills, doing the dishes, folding the laundry, or bitching out the asshole that stole your parking spot when they could clearly see you were waiting for it.
SEIZE THE DAY
F
inding myself a
widow
at the age of thirty-eight was not something I ever thought could happen to me. Not that anyone ever thinks something like this will happen to them, but I was so naive about tragedy that you could have told me the sky was falling and I would have responded with, “Not over my house it isn’t.” It has been two years since I got the knock at the front door that burst my perfect little bubble. It all still feels like it was just yesterday.
I was finishing the morning dishes. Jack and I always had breakfast together each morning. I would get up, toss on my jeans and a tee shirt, and then head to the kitchen while Jack would get into the shower. We started this little tradition three years ago when our daughter Bryna went off to college in an effort to not fall into some kind of empty nesters funk. After the first year of bacon and eggs each morning, I decided it was time to come up with some new ideas to spice up the morning. Being that I was no culinary genius, I turned to the Internet for help. That particular morning we had orange chocolate chip waffles with orange caramel sauce and bananas with a side of bacon. It was my latest find on Pinterest. As I placed my latest creation on the table in from of us, we burst into laughter at its appearance and then stalled, waiting for the other to take the first bite. Realizing what we were doing, we decided to take the first bite together.
“One, two, three, go” I say, holding my overflowing fork.
Still sitting frozen in the same position, neither of us moved the fork closer to our open mouths and now we are attempting to hold back the laughter that is trying to break through our straight faces.
“You were supposed to go on three,” Jack blurts.
“So were you!” I say with my own laughter escaping, making it hard to speak.
After two more attempts at the countdown, we both at last cave in and take our first bite together. To our surprise, it was actually damn delicious and quickly decide it needs to go into the “must make again” pile. Conversation about our plans for the day fills the kitchen as we finish our breakfast. Jack was going to the office for the morning and then he had a few off-site meetings this afternoon. I planned to start a yoga class later this afternoon, we agree that tonight will be a fend for yourself style dinner since he did not know when he would be home and I may or may not injure myself attempting some yoga pose with a fancy name like the river runs clear.
After breakfast, Jack kisses me good-bye and heads off to work while I go for my morning run. Okay, maybe run is too strong a word. It was more like a fast walk slash jog, that is until I pass by my friend Abby Reed’s house. I love Abby to death, she is one of my best friends, but she is a marathon runner and gives me shit every time I
walk
past her house. So I learned that the best way to avoid that is to start running about two houses up from hers and stop about three houses after, silly I know, but it saves me from getting a giant dose of Abby style
motivation
via text messages for the next hour. Honestly, I have no idea how her husband Dave deals with it because he is most definitely not a man that cares about being in shape.
Once I determine that I have worked off enough calories for now, I make my way back home. I immediately jump in the shower and start making a mental list of all the things I had to do today. After getting out of the shower, getting dressed, and transferring my mental list into a real list, I start cleaning up my monster mess in the kitchen.
I have yet to master the art of the cleaning as you go cooking style. I was drying the last few dishes when I hear the soft, but firm knock at the door. I was not expecting anyone, and it was too early for the mail. I thought it could be my sister, Casey, who is three years younger than I am and would stop by occasionally if she had a showing in my neighborhood. Casey was one of the best real estate agents in the area, she even helped Jack and I find our house when she was just starting out, and she got us a damn good price considering the neighborhood. Unfortunately, that made her extremely busy, and between spending time with her husband Chuck and my awesome nephew Leo, it was hard for her to find time to hang out, so if she was in the area and had some time, she would swing by and say hello to her big sis.
I quickly finish drying Jack’s favorite red coffee cup and head to see who it is. When I pull open the front door, I am surprised to see two uniformed police officers and Jack’s friend Flynn Avery staring back at me. The officer standing closest to the door was shorter and from the amount of gray hair peeking out from under his hat, you could tell had been on the job for more years than not. The other officer standing a few steps behind him was a bit younger; he was tall and seemed to be in very good shape. He had a hint of gray mixed in with his dark brown hair that made him look very distinguished. Flynn, Jack’s business partner and best friend, was standing close behind them and was avoiding eye contact with me while both officers looked at me with such serious faces. I wanted to throw up my hands and scream, “I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it,” to lighten the mood a bit.
“Are you Mrs. Piper Reynolds?” the older officer asked.
“Yes I am, can I help you?” I ask in utter confusion, looking to Flynn for a hint as to what is going on.
“I’m Officer Johnson and this is Officer Daniels. May we come in for a moment?” he asks.
“Sure. Is there a problem?” I asked, moving aside to let them in.
“Do you mind if we take a seat in the living room?” Officer Johnson asks
“Of course, but I’m confused as to what is going on here.” I look to Flynn for answers, but he is still avoiding eye contact with me.
We take a seat on the couch in the living room. My heart is pounding, and my hands are starting to sweat. I have no clue what is going on. Why are they here? Why is Flynn here? Why is he avoiding my confused gaze?
“Ma’am, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but your husband has been involved in an accident,” he says, leaning in close to me.
